God of War: Ragnarok is upon us, and Kratos' next adventure had us in tears within minutes. With the ability to explore all 9 realms such as Midgard and Alfheim with the additions of Asgard, Vanaheim, and Svartalfheim from the previous game, players have a tone of new locations to discover and learn about their past and future roles in the mythology. However, the God of War story is well known for rewriting the mythology into its own tale.
There are heavy spoilers ahead for the entire game, so if fans are among those still waiting to play the newest God of War and want to experience these locations firsthand, please come back to this piece at a later date.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
8 Spark Of The World
The Spark of the World is arguably one of the most beautiful locations in all gaming. This cosmic expanse is the joining point between Muspelheim (the fire realm) and Niflheim. These are important as they are known as the first 2 realms to come into existence. Essentially, this location is the birth of the universe, similar to what would be the Big Bang, and they capture the essence of this gracefully. In the God of War story, Surtr helps us cause Ragnarok by combining the cold heart of Sinmara and his fire to grow into a giant.
He then falls into the Spark of the World and awaits the call of Ragnarok. Shortly after, Odin's Valkyries ambush us and an awesome fight takes place. It's awesome that this space is utilized for more than just storytelling or a cutscene, instead, players actively play and fight here. Players can also return here after the story has finished for an awesome Easter egg.
7
Asgard
Fans of God of War have been waiting years to get a peak at Santa Monica's vision for Asgard. It's safe to say, they surely did not disappoint. Although it may look slightly different from what players were expecting, the scenery and gritty nature of the series continue through here with the overall design and feel of the realm.
Players do visit this realm a few times as Atreus due to the short truce between Odin and Loki in the hunt for divine truth using the mask. However, the first time Kratos visits this realm is during the start of Ragnarok making this moment extremely powerful.
6
Jotenheim
Now, players may be thinking "Jotenheim isn't a new location in God of War" as players briefly visit this realm at the end of God of War 4 (2018). However, in Ragnarok, players get to explore the brand-new location of Iron Wood, a sanctuary for the Giants. Players first travel here as Atreus in a "dream". However, Giants have the ability to transport themselves here while sleeping.
Players know Atreus was definitely present in Jotenheim, as when he returns to Midgard he transports back to an entirely different location. Kratos can return here once the game is complete and have some awesome interactions with Angrboda, Loki's wife in the Norse mythos.
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Svartalfheim.jpg)
Svartalfheim is home to the Dwarves and contains the city of Nidavelir. Fans knew this location would be a hot spot during the game due to Brok and Sindri playing a large role throughout the previous title. As well as this, fans knew that Odin had Tyr locked up in the Applecore Mine in Svartalfheim meaning players would have to travel here to free him from his endless nightmare.
This realm is incredibly unique and features some of my favorite enemies with the endless Grim and awesome Bergsra. Finally, players will meet Durlin, another Dwarven companion to help them along the way to defeat Odin.
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Vanaheim.jpg)
Vanaheim is the beautiful home of the Vanir and Vanir gods. Among these are Freya, who fans know from the previous game, and Freyr. Players first venture here as Kratos alongside Freya in an attempt to destroy the binding spell Odin placed on Freya to stop her from visiting other realms.
This realm contains one of the best boss fights in the game against an iconic character in Norse mythology so make sure to visit here as soon as the game allows. Vanaheim is also the location for a few other significant events throughout the game.
3 Sindri's House And Yggdrasil
Sindri's House acts as the new "home" for Kratos and Atreus. Seeing as Odin and Thor know exactly where the old house is, it wouldn't exactly be advantageous to stay there. Brok and Sindri also can't use Tyr's temple as a forge due to its destruction caused by Thor.
The house can be found among the World Tree where players are safe from any of Odin's plans. Ratatoskr can also be found here. He is the squirrel that guards Yggdrasil (The World Tree) and passes messages from the Eagle at the top to the Snake at the bottom known as Nidhoggr.
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The Lady Of The Forge.jpg)
The Forge and the "Lady of the Forge" becomes an iconic location during Kratos' adventure and is the source of his new weapon. Brok tells us that Sindri is usually the one that visits the Lady, so this is also a new adventure for him.
The Lady of the Forge can be found at the bottom of a lake in Svartalfheim. The player must fix the diving bell with Brok before being able to venture into the deep abyss.
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The Great Lodge
The Great Lodge is the final location on this list. Players may be thinking that Odin's great place would look something like its MCU counterpart, but players will be surprised when faced with this Lodge instead. Players visit this location as Atreus alongside Heimdall who explains why Odin doesn't require a huge palace.
He states that true power doesn't feel the need to flaunt it. Which does give us some respect for Odin, even though fans know he will sacrifice everyone and everything to get what he wants.
God of War: Ragnarok is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 through the Store.